Spring football is in the air, and with our Spring Practice Primers the Eye On College Football Blog gets you up to speed on what to look for on campuses around the country this spring. Today we look at TCU.

Spring Practice Starts: Saturday, February 25

Spring Game: Thursday, April 5

Three Things To Look For:

1. Replacing the unexpected losses. Like every team, TCU had losses to deal with on both sides of the ball thanks to graduation, but the recent drug bust on campus through a nasty curveball Gary Patterson's way. Now the TCU defense is without three players it was fully expecting to rely on for 2012 in Tanner Brock, D.J. Yendrey and Devin Johnson. One of the biggest stories this spring will be seeing which of the remaining players on the depth chart rise up to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity.

2. Fixing the secondary. From 2008 to 2010 TCU finished as one of the top 5 defenses in the nation in defensive pass efficiency under coach Chad Glasgow. In 2011 Glasgow left to run the defense at Texas Tech and the Horned Frogs saw their pass defense drop to 65th in the nation. Now Glasgow has returned to his old position, and will look to restore the TCU pass defense to what it was when he was last there. And it couldn't come at a better time for TCU, as you might have noticed that the Big 12 is a conference that enjoys airing it out.

3. How good can this offense be? TCU's offense finished 9th in the country with 40.8 points per game last season, and while its level of competition may be a touch higher this season, the Big 12 isn't exactly known for smothering defense. With Casey Pachall returning at quarterback, along with his top three receivers from 2010, and it's safe to say that the Horned Frogs passing attack may be terrifying in 2012. Oh, and if it isn't, TCU also has three running backs who rushed for over 700 yards last season returning as well. This could be one of the best offenses in the conference in 2012, and the first signs will be seen this spring.

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"There are days people want to be a head football coach, but today is not one of those days," Patterson said. "As I heard the news this morning, I was first shocked, then hurt and now I’m mad.

"Under my watch, drugs and drug use by TCU’s student-athletes will not be tolerated by me or any member of my coaching staff. Period. Our program is respected nationally for its strong ethics and for that reason the players arrested today were separated from TCU by the University. I believe strongly that young people’s lives are more important than wins or losses.

"This situation isn’t unique to TCU -- it is a global issue that we all have to address. This isn’t just about bad decisions made by a small percentage of my team. It is about a bigger issue across this country and world.

"As a coach, I do the best I can to educate members of my team. We have programs in place that teach student-athletes about what they should and shouldn’t do and how to be successful in life. I talk to them about how to be students and upstanding men that uphold the TCU name and its traditions.

"At the end of the day, though, sometimes young people make poor choices. The Horned Frogs are bigger and stronger than those involved."

Patterson said he was mad at the beginning of the statement, and you could tell he meant it while reading the rest of it.

Four TCU players were arrested as part of the sting. Those four players were linebacker Tanner Brock, defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey, safety Devin Johnson and offensive tackle Ty Horn.

All but Horn were starters for the Horned Frogs

Obviously, this isn't good news for anybody involved, including the rest of Patterson's football team. Losing three of your starters on defense this way heading into the Big 12 won't do the Horned Frogs any favors on the field, and to make matters worse, this may just be the beginning.

There's no telling where this story is going to end just yet.

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Seventeen TCU students have been arrested as a result of a six-month investigation into drug related activity on campus on Wednesday. According to police and school officials, four of those students are Horned Frog football players.

The four TCU players to be arrested as part of the sting were senior linebacker Tanner Brock, senior defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey, offensive tackle Ty Horn, and senior safety Devin Johnson.

Sources confirmed to CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman that all four players had been dismissed from the team. All but Horn were expected to start for TCU in 2012.

"There are days people want to be a head football coach, but today is not one of those days," said Patterson. "As I heard the news this morning, I was first shocked, then hurt and now I’m mad.

"Under my watch, drugs and drug use by TCU’s student-athletes will not be tolerated by me or any member of my coaching staff. Period. Our program is respected nationally for its strong ethics and for that reason the players arrested today were separated from TCU by the University. I believe strongly that young people’s lives are more important than wins or losses.

"This situation isn’t unique to TCU -- it is a global issue that we all have to address. This isn’t just about bad decisions made by a small percentage of my team. It is about a bigger issue across this country and world.

"As a coach, I do the best I can to educate members of my team. We have programs in place that teach student-athletes about what they should and shouldn’t do and how to be successful in life. I talk to them about how to be students and upstanding men that uphold the TCU name and its traditions.

"At the end of the day, though, sometimes young people make poor choices. The Horned Frogs are bigger and stronger than those involved."

According to TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr., there has never been "a magnitude of student arrests such as this" and all of those found guilty will face immediate expulsion. The chancellor issued an official statement on TCU's website.

"While this news is certainly shocking and disappointing, it is important to remember that TCU has clear expectations for its students: that they behave in an ethical manner, abide by campus policies and adhere to state and federal law," Boschini wrote.

"These students are charged with acting in a manner that is incompatible with TCU values and against the law. That is simply unacceptable and such reported behavior is not tolerated at this University."

According to TCU police, the drugs being sold included marijuana, cocaine, acid, ecstasy, and prescription drugs. Fort Worth police said the investigation is ongoing and that more students could be arrested in the campus wide crackdown.

Arrest warrant affadavits released by police included statements from Brock and Johnson made to undercover officers that indicated widespread drug use on the Horned Frogs team. Regarding a surprise February 1 drug test (reportedly demanded by Patterson after a recruit had told him he would not come to TCU over drug use concerns), Brock estimated "about 60 people" would be "screwed" while Johnson told officers "82 people failed it."

Keep up with the latest college football news from around the country. From the opening kick of the year all the way through the offseason, CBSSports.com has you covered with this daily newsletter. View a preview.